Article was opinion, not news
In defense of our teachers, I feel compelled to comment on Mr. Jake Griffin’s lengthy article that appeared in the Hearld on June 6, reporting on the annual 3 percent cost of living adjustments for teachers. His article did not present the issue fairly and objectively.
He took a page of print throwing out some big numbers to describe how the 3 percent annual increase retired teachers received over a 25-year period affected the pension payment, leaving the impression the yearly increase was outrageous.
What Jake Griffin conveniently failed to do, whether it was intentional or not, was to note that during the last 25 years, the average inflation rate was 2.92 percent or very close to 3 percent.
So what does that mean? Yes, the retired teachers were able to go to the grocery store and purchase groceries at approximately the same value as 25 years ago adjusted for inflation.
The Daily Herald should not print this kind of reporting as news, but rather put this kind of article in the editorial section of the paper where this kind of one-sided reporting belongs.
Leo A. Dietrich
Lake Villa